FEAR
by Ribke D'Crazy
Summary: Just another novelization. Do you really need a summary for that?
1. Preface

**Preface**

I was cold; yet I was sweating too much. I've been hurting the whole day in one way or another; but now I hurted too much in more than one way. I wanted to run, to get away from it all, yet I didn't have the strength to give one more step. Not that there was anywhere to run, anyway. I was cornered, like helpless pray. It's kind of funny how fast one can turn from predator to prey. But again, life is a joke itself.

I'd never thought death had a face. But now that I'm looking straight at it, I would rather look at something else. Not that death had ever scared me. All the opposite, it's just that I never expected it to arrive this way of all ways. I feel like if Hell itself had just fallen upon this Earth from one moment to another. Not that I fear hell either. Why should I?

But despite everything I can't stop trembling. Most people think they know fear like the palm of their hand. But it's not until they finally feel it that they realize what fear truly is. Even after all I've been through today, I don't even dare to say that I actually know what Fear actually looks like. It's like a face well hidden behind a mask. No matter how much you try to make out what's actually behind of it, you are never able to completely figure it out. IF you manage to make anything out at all.

She's getting closer. My sight is blurry and the dim, flickering light isn't helping at all, but yet I can feel her closer, I can hear every step she takes.

The gun I hold is empting faster than I think, soon I will run out of ammo completely. Yet she just won't go away. She just keeps walking like if the bullets that hit her don't even have any effect at all. I fear they might actually NOT have any effect at all.

Even I can smell that stench. Death wanting to reclaim me at last. And there's no way to avoid it this time. Even though I still feel unprepared. But that just makes it kind of sad.

But I wonder…

… Is this how fear actually feels like?

**AN: **Well, I just felt like it would be kinda cool if this thing had sum kind of preface in the first place. Dunno why, I just felt like making one.

So what? Love it? Hate it? Any kind of comment is welcome, my dears! But in case you're posting any kind of flames please make it as formal as possible so you won't be using as much cursing.

Peace and love, everyone! Chapter one is almost out, no worries!


	2. Interval 01: Point of Origin

**Important points I couldn't erase:**

This will mostly be told in the Point Man's POV since it's a first person game and he's the main char and all dat stuff, but there'll be a couple of parts written in omniscient POV.

I've given the point man a nickname to make this easier to write. Maybe you'll see what I'm talking about. But don't worry, to those who don't like it; I won't be using it much.

**3. **If you see a small number, dat means it's a thing dat needs explanations; u'll find em at the end of the chap. And if u see something with a *, dat means it's an interesting fact; again, it's at the end of the chap.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned F.E.A.R. I would be filthy rich and wouldn't even have to do this cr-p to get rid of boredom.

**I rewrote this **_**WHOLE**_** chapter. So it's worth to read it again, those who have done so already. In fact, please DO read and tell me if I have improved or not and in what. And I'm still trying to correct my word repeating habit. It'd be nice if u helped me out a bit. **

**P.S. I was **_**this **_**close of not posting dis. My computer got **_**literally**_** fried, I stupidly hadn't dropped this in the Drop Box folder, and I would be lying if I told you I was about to cry of frustration or anything, in fact I took this whole issue too damn well, but I still considered just dropping the subject and sending it all to hell XD. Fortunately we managed to save my archives from the hard drive. So, good for us!**

* * *

**Interval 01 – Inception**

Roger Saunders was a brilliant man. Since his childhood he had always committed himself on doing the best effort to stand out; though, like all people, he had his own definition of "standing out", and that definition was being smarter than the rest, which from elementary to high school gave him a "nerd" reputation impossible to shake off. Not that he ever cared of course, he never had any interest on what his less intellectually gifted fellow humans thought; it was only a waste of his time. All of that time was devoted on studying; leaving behind many chances to spend it with other people and improve his social skills, hence the reason why he often had trouble dealing with people. Oh no, he was not a shy man, and that was exactly the problem. He lacked tact and patience with his co-workers, and had a talent for pissing off most people, often without even meaning to. These reactions from the others only served to strengthen his conviction that they all were just a bunch of ignorant apes. So, he often spent time in his own metaphorical corner, busy with his demanding job as a scientist working for the leading technological conglomerate known as Armacham Technology Corporation (also known as the ATC). This helped him bear having to be around those he considered to be idiots. But during the times he went to his little inner land, any interruption was not tolerated. And this time said interruption was in the form of the failing lights that went out while he was writing his report, causing the computer to shut down and the unsaved information to be lost, even though it was only a brief flicker. He cursed as he slammed his fists on the table. Angry, he got up from his desk and went to the door. He opened it without bothering to close it again and just proceeded to walk over his secretary's table. She was also having trouble with the sudden power cut. "Linda, didn't I tell you to call the tech support to fix the problem with the electricity? This is the fourth time this month!" he said, trying to keep his voice from rising more than necessary (failing).

"I did sir. He came yesterday and said he had fixed it. I don't-" She was cut off.

"Well, call him again, dammit!" said the scientist already losing his patience.

"Yes sir." the secretary said so quickly it was hard to understand. Not like Roger cared, he was already heading angrily to his office.

Fortunately, for them, no more power shortages occurred again in their area, and they wouldn't occur again for the rest of the day. But that couldn't be said about other parts of the building. The strange thing about this was that it was almost like it was being headed to a specific direction. Like if an invisible entity was walking the halls, making the lights flicker as it advanced.

Soon it arrived to the third floor of the compound [1] and reached the containing cells section.

In one of the high security cells kneelt a man. Everything about him seemed normal. But it was his eyes that told you that there was something wrong about him. In those eyes there was fear; but not any kind of fear, it was _pure_ fear.

Those whispers... Every time they came he couldn't get them out of his head, but it was not like he wanted to. There was something so familiar about them, but he just couldn't put it together. They started to sound louder; the stronger they sounded the more uneasy he felt, turning his breath into heavy panting. Small water footprints that could only belong to a child appeared as if from nowhere, with a light splat sounding with each step, approaching his cell door. The lights flickered more than ever now. And now he could see her; that little girl that used to visit him only in his dreams. The door opened and the lights stopped flickering. Now he was able to make out two words from all those senseless whispers… only two words: _**"Kill them"**_ the voice commanded. _**"Kill them ALL"**_.

Suddenly he could _feel_ it. All those emotions the voice carried stroke him all at once: fear, sadness, anger, hatred; hate for everything! _**"Curse them…"** _a foreign thought came to his head_**"CURSE THEM!"**_ It was so overwhelming he couldn't keep himself from screaming. That scream echoed through the whole Perseus Compound and reached all the empty vessels that rested within, awakening them, and one by one they made formations like they were programmed to do.

And then he knew exactly what _he_ had to do.

The man walked through the hallways as if he owned the place. He casually approached a guard that was reading a magazine, still chewing a snack in his mouth. He walked so silently that it wasn't until he was just two feet away that the guard noticed his presence. He quickly turned around, already prepared for a fight, but was not fast enough. The man slit his throat open; just like slicing butter with a hot knife. The guards at the security room saw this, but weren't even able to give the alarm as the clones broke inside the room and shot them all on sight.

You could now see the man, Paxton Fettel, on his knees again, flanked by two of the clones he commanded. But this time it was different. Before him was a man in a lab coat he had just killed, his face disfigured beyond recognition; and Paxton was having a feast with his flesh. Yes, he could still remember those dreams in which he devoured the flesh of others to learn their secrets. Guess it _does _work after all. A clone then approached him from behind, followed by other two clones. He stopped and saluted his commander "What are your next orders, sir?" Paxton then turned to see his underling. His whole face all covered in blood. He smirked, showing his bloody red teeth.

"Get the vans ready." He ordered "We are visiting an old friend". He then looked up at the security camera that was pointing right at him, and his smirk turned into a crazed smile.

* * *

The phone began ringing endlessly. It didn't stop until finally someone picked it up. _"Yes?"_ said the sleepy voice of a middle aged man.

_"Sorry to wake you, senator."_ answered a female voice. "It's about Origin."

_"What happened"_ The sleepiness in the senator's voice was completely gone now.

_"There was an uprising. Fettel has taken command of the prototypes."_

_"My God"_

_"We can still resolve this discretely, but we have to move fast."_

_"A-all right, all right. Let me… make a few calls."_ This was obviously an emergency, and usually emergencies call for desperate measures. He just hopped they wouldn't have to get to that point anytime soon.

* * *

I woke up with a jump; I almost fell from the bed this time. Fortunately I was fast enough to stop myself.

It's become routine. I go to sleep and I wake up in a cold sweat and breathing heavily; always because of nightmares. Then I look at the clock only to find out that it's still early morning and that I have slept for just a few hours. Then all I do is lie in bed, hopping –fruitlessly- to fall back asleep.

Maybe I have issues. I mean, it can't be normal that every time I go to sleep I have nothing but nightmares. Most of the time I can't even remember them… but it doesn't matter. Anything I _do_ remember is enough to kill any thoughts of actually going back to sleep, though I keep trying most of the time, just for the heck of it. But in the end it's just one of the many non-normal things in my life I have already gotten used to; but it doesn't mean that others accept it. They always bug me about taking medication and all that shit- of course I refuse to do it! But they _do_ force me to take therapy, for my complete chagrin.

I don't remember for how long I remained there, without either moving or falling asleep… completely bored… Though I couldn't help but think that something felt… odd. Like that uneasy feeling you get when there's something bad going on. Then there was someone knocking at the door: yup, there surely _is_ something bad going on; it may sound a bit superstitious but I don't believe in coincidences. There're few reasons anyone would ever bother to get here and knock at the door at wee time in the morning, and the first one that comes to mind is that something bad must be going on. Like that time when there was a fire in the storehouse where we keep the equipment… but that's another story.

I glance at Jankowski; he's still sleeping like a baby. Unlike me he's always been a very heavy sleeper. Sighing I get up from bed to open the door. And there I see the commander standing at the door: shit, this means _big_ trouble. I salute and he salutes back. "Well, looks like you're awake." He said "Wake Jankowski and get ready, pronto! I want you two in the briefing room five minutes ago." He then walks away. I don't even think before doing what I was ordered to do. Heck, I don't even need to think to know what is going on.

…This will be a very busy morning.

* * *

Right now there are four people in the room: Commander Betters: F.E.A.R.'s boss and coordinator; Spen Jankowski: team's former point man, and smart mouth; Jin Sun-Kwon: the team's technical officer- but when the need arises she becomes our expert sniper. She's really good with that rifle I must admit. And, last but not least: myself! I'm the team's current point man… and silent guy*. It's not that I'm stupid or physically unable to talk; it's just that I usually don't feel like speaking. I need to, of course… but I'm more of an action guy.

There is a big screen in front of me displaying images of the same guy. In some of them he's just walking down a corridor, acting completely normal. But in the others he's kneeling, acting just as normal… only that he's eating another human being.

"This wacko's name is Paxton Fettel." Betters said pushing some buttons in his computer. "He's the key. If we can tame him we can tame the situation."

"The fucker's got an appetite." commented Jankowski, looking at the screen.

"I think he has an agenda." said Jin "It's not just recreational. He's getting something out of it."

"Essential vitamins and nutrients?" Jankowski just came with a good one, I must admit.

"What's the story?"

"Property of Armacham Technology Corporation." Answered Betters "They're working in a military contract to develop an army of clones that respond to a psychic commander; top secret, of course. Fettel was one of the commanders." Ok, this just got too sci-fi-ish, if you ask me.

Jankowski thought this too: "You gotta be fucking kidding me! This is why nobody takes us seriously. Military clones?"

"A full battalion of them. Highly trained and heavily armed."

"A battalion! What are we supposed to do against a thousand super soldiers?"

"Like I said, we put Fettel down and it's over." Said Betters pulling his shirt's neck, probably out of stress. I just _love_ those comments that make things sound a thousand times easier than they actually are. "Fortunately the whole point of the program is to give commanders firsthand knowledge of the battlefield without putting them in danger. That means we should be able to corner the bastard without having our way through all those soldiers."

"How do we find him?" asked Jin.

"Armacham implanted a transmitter on his head. It should lead us right to him."

"That's awfully convenient." Jankowski Commented.

"Assuming it does what it's supposed to." then the commander looked at me, "What about you buddy? Ready to go to work?" he asked me. I straightened as soon as he asked me this. I nodded just once, making sure to appear determined. Finally my first assignment in this unit. I haven't gotten this excited in a while… and I'm not even that excited… If I'm even really excited at all, I mean… Should I even be excited? It's been so long I've forgotten what 'excited' is exactly.

"Put him in the field? ARE YOU CRAZY? He just transferred in a week ago!" And here we go. I believe Jankowski's comments must be like some kind of involuntary reflex or something. I'm a trained soldier, not a rookie straight out from boot camp, for heck's sake.

"You've seen his training results. His reflexes are totally out the charts. I think he can handle himself".

"Whatever, man. It's your call."

"Goddamn right it is!"

"Don't worry, he'll be fine." Said Jin. Finally putting an end to this argument.

"Let's Role!" said Betters. Everyone got moving and left the room. I was last, but before I left, I took a last glance at the big screen and that's when I noticed. Fettel was looking _straight_ at the camera; it looked almost as if he was looking right at _me_. The creepiest part was the bloody smile on his face; only those standing on the last boundaries of insanity would be able to smile like that.

I forced myself to look away and kept walking. But I couldn't shake away the feeling of dread that had invaded my mind.

* * *

_Why does everything look so strange? I can't focus… it is as if I had been in a dark place for too long and suddenly gotten out in the light. There's someone in front of me, but I can't recognize them. "What's the first thing you remember?" Why does his voice echo? _

…

_The light's too bright, I can't see anything, but I can hear... I hear a woman screaming: "NOOOOOOOO! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING HIM?" _

…

_There's a face in front of me; it's so close, I can distinguish his features even through the blurriness: he's a mustached man with glasses. He looks right at me and something about him disturbs me a lot "You will be a god among men." why-? _

* * *

I could feel a hand shaking me. At first it was soft, but it got rougher. "Wake up!" I heard someone say. My eyes snapped open. I was still in the car with commander Betters; I must have fallen asleep on the road. We're not there yet, he just stopped to wake me up. He started the car again without saying anything.

He turned right and entered an alley. "We tracked Fettel in an abandoned building just up ahead." He told me while he stopped the car. "No sign of enemy activity on the satellite, but don't take any chances." He began typing something in his laptop and I could see Jankowski's image appearing on the screen. "Jankowski, you in position?" he asked him through the commlink.

"_Just say the word."_

"All right. Move it up!"

I pulled my balaclava over my face and snapped on my red goggles. I still don't know why exactly do they make me wear this stuff to work, but I can't say I don't like it either. Betters wished me good luck from his seat in the car as I got out.

I walked through the alley until I reached the entrance of the building. I could tell for the still glowing fire in the cask that this must be some hangout place for homeless people. But of course, there was nobody there; and with good reason! I opened the door and entered. Immediately after I got in I heard a soft noise which got me in full alert, until I saw its source: just a rat. I calmed down but didn't lower my gun; now it was just a rat, next time it could be a fucking cannibal bastard ambushing me; last thing I want are my intestines being devoured by that psycho, so I must not let my guard down, no matter what. I entered a dark storage room; I had to turn on my flashlight. When I opened the next door its hinges gave in and broke, letting the door fall noisily to the floor. I just stared at it, looked around to see if there had been anyone who could have been alerted by the noise, and shrugged when I saw no one.

The room, though it was a complete mess, looked like a lobby. For a second I wondered what this building was originally used for. Suddenly I heard glass breaking. I aimed my gun at the source that was in another door in front of me, ready to shoot. "Red, over here!" After hearing my boot camp nickname [2] I lowered my gun just as fast as I got aim. It was just Jankowski. "Hey, bro! What took you so long?" he asked while I approached him. The door was barricaded with wooden planks, and the lock seemed to be broken. I could definitely NOT pass through there.

Jankowski, like anyone with usable brain cells would, also noticed this, so he turned back and walked away. "Try to find a way around." Yeah, like if there was any other option... besides blasting the door to bits, but _that_ wouldn't be wise.

The only way I could take was the door at the top of the stairs. Upstairs, past another set of closed doors, was a metal table right in the middle of the hallway, blocking the path. I moved it out of the way, only wanting to continue on my way, until I heard something at my left.

Was it a child crying? It sounded like it, definitely. I turned and saw a door. It was broken from its upper hinges, but when I tried to push it open, it didn't budge. **

I could still hear the crying; what was a child doing here anyways? There's no reason why a child would be here. But like they say: this is a crazy world. Some of the weirdest things don't even need a reason or explanation. And also, because of this, in no good conscience I could let a child be here all alone: _anything_ could happen. So, perhaps it was just the responsible adult inside of me, or maybe just a moment of mad irrationality, but in the end I decided to forget about my current task and check it out.

I tried to push the door open again. This time it moved a bit, just enough to let me take a peak. I strained to see what was at the other side of the room. It was only a small bathroom, but I could not see anything else. The crying had stopped as well; I scared the child. I strained to see more; perhaps the child was just hiding. "Uhm…" what to say? "It's ok… I won't harm you…" I kept my voice soft but audible enough. For a short while I got no answer, until the child let out a soft sniff. I thought about something else to say. I felt a bit awkward; I have enough trouble dealing with adults, so how am I supposed to talk to a child? "Look… this is a very dangerous place…" the child still didn't talk, but I could still hear their sniffing and an occasional hiccupping. "I'm coming in to get you out, but I'll have to bring down the door. So you have to get out of the way, ok?"

I waited for an answer: "... Ok." It surprised me that the child finally talked. It seemed like it was a little girl. But strangely her tone wasn't scared or sad even. In fact it sounded almost playful.

This didn't matter, I had to get the child out, and it would be easier if she wasn't scared. In a surge of inspiration I said: "Ok, I'll count to three… One…" I took a few steps back: "Two…" and threw myself at the door as hard as I could: "THREE!" it gave away… with me on top of it "Uff!"

The door and I fell flat on the floor with a loud noise; there was a dense cloud of dust polluting the air and making me cough a bit, but not too dense to impede me from taking a good look at the bathroom… it was empty. No child or any other kind of living being on sight. I was now confused. I could hear a soft chuckle. I looked around, hoping to see her, but still no signs of anything. I got up and dusted myself. I looked around to see if there wasn't any possibility that she was hiding behind something, but, besides the toilet and a sink, there was absolutely no furniture.

All this was so strange. I could swear over my life I heard a little girl in here. She even answered to me! How could my mind play these tricks on me? … But there's no use. No matter how long I stand here wondering what just happened, the answer will never come. My only option is to forget about it and leave it behind. It cannot be helped. But even as I gave my back to that strange bathroom and walked away the question still persisted. And every time it popped up I had to convince myself it was only in my imagination, no matter how real it might had seemed. I didn't stop doing this until it finally worked.

Walking along the corridor I felt the building shake slightly. The lights began flickering and some tiles even fell from the wall. Then an image flashed in my mind. For a reason it looked somewhat like a human face covered in blood. The image went so fast I had to shake my head after it was gone.

The next room was dark, only illuminated by the dim sun rays that managed to get through the blocked windows. The moment I crossed the threshold, in the door across from me, I saw the silhouette of a man crossing through my sight. It took me by surprise, but I still managed to react properly.

"Halt right there!" I shouted, but he just ignored me. The thought that it could be Fettel passed through my mind, so I sprinted to the other side of the room, gun at the ready, and ducked under the planks into the hallway were the man was.

As soon as I was there all I saw was the same man, but this time fainter, like a shadow, until he became what to me looked like ashes that dissolved in thin air. Then I heard a voice echo through the whole room _**"Why did you bring me here?"**_ it said. _**"Why did you bring me back?"**_ Then I could hear a baby's wailing, but it sounded very distant. I waited until the noise was gone. My breathing became erratic as I looked around. I was really confused now. Why was my mind playing this sort of tricks on me? First the girl now this! I didn't want to keep dwelling on it though, because I felt that it would just make matters worse; that only thinking about it would call forth even more... weirdness. All I wanted was just to find Jankowski and get done with this as soon as possible.

I rushed a bit too fast to the next door, but as soon as I was right in front of it, it slammed in my face. I fell on my butt... I really wasn't expecting that. I rubbed my nose and grunted. I got up again and kicked it open harder than necessary. This had changed my mood from freaked out to furious.

I found myself in a storage room. It had some junk scattered around, even an operation bed, with its lights and everything… I stared a bit at those; for a strange reason I imagined them suddenly turning on and blinding me, though that obviously didn't happen since the light bulbs were all useless. But this thought gave me a sudden sense of déjà vu for no apparent reason...

I was finally brought out from my thinking train when the building began shacking again; the lights began flickering and objects began falling to the floor. I remembered my urgency to get out of there. The next door had a pad lock; I shot it without even thinking and opened it. Behind was a stairway. The building kept shaking as I climbed them up. I was getting sick of all of this shit. I sped up the pace when suddenly the lights hanging in the ceiling gave in and almost fell over my head. Instinct forced me to cower at first, but quickly I managed to snap out of it and move out of the way, which was a good thing, since as soon as I moved, the lights finally fell on the floor.

My adrenaline levels had raised so much, when I saw the lights fall to the floor it was completely on slow motion. After it was over I was still breathing heavily, looking at the broken lights that had been so close of falling on my head. But soon, my panting was replaced by chuckling.

This was so crazy! Non-existing little girls in bathrooms; men that disappear on thin air. I am a highly trained soldier, and I am getting scared by what can only be my imagination? I must be losing my mind!

I reached the top of the stairs and the double doors there. There was a bookshelf blocking them, so I couldn't get through. I cursed loudly at this and mused on what to do next. But maybe luck wasn't such a bitch after all; I was just about to turn around and go back the way I came when I heard footsteps in the other side of the door. It was Jankowski. "Hold on a sec." he said before moving the bookshelf out of the way. "Come on!"

I sighed with relief and got through the door. Jankowski was pointing at another door; he got positioned at the left side of it and nodded at me. I nodded back, getting the message, and positioned myself at the right side. "You ready?" he asked. I nodded again. Anticipation washed over me as I waited for Jankowski to say the word. "GO!"

He kicked the door open and we both rushed inside, ready for anything that could-

* * *

_Whispers everywhere around me, but none of them make any sense. Jankowski dematerialized in front of me. Is that even physically possible for people to dematerialize randomly? And weren't we just in the middle of something important? I was utterly and completely confused. _

_I looked around for Jankowski but couldn't find him. Idiot, where did he go? In the end I just decided to keep going on my own. I don't need him anyways, especially if he's just going to be disappearing like that at ra- "You were born here, in this place." A male voice said, interrupting me from my thoughts. "I was there."__[3] __Who had said that? The voice sounded familiar but at the same time it didn't. _

_I kept walking. A bloody face missing a check flashed in my mind. The next moment I was in a room with a man sitting on a chair. Why was the man covered in-? _

* * *

I found myself in a poorly lit room, without even remembering how the Hell did I even get there. One moment I had just reunited with Jankowski and next… everything became confusing. All I remember is Jankowski vanishing in the air and that strange voice. _'What the fuck was that?' _It was all I could think once my mind was fully connected to reality again. I really hate that confusing interval between waking up from a really messed up dream and back to reality again.

I took in my surroundings: The whole room was lit by a single light bulb. Under the bulb was a man tied to a chair, almost like in those movies when someone is being interrogated… Only difference was that this man was already dead and half cannibalized. Jankowski was right beside me. He was calling Jin through the radio. She answered, saying she was on her way. "Looks like we're too late boss. Just leftovers."

"_The transmitter's signal is coming from nearby. He's gotta be around there, somewhere."_

"I'll wait here for Jin. You take a look around." I didn't hear Jankowski's orders at first. I was just standing there trying to make sense of what had just happened without really paying much attention. Jankowski shook my shoulder and repeated the order asking if I had heard him. I nodded and tried (probably in vain) to head to the stairway as fast as I could without looking ridiculous. I've never been so thankful of being wearing a balaclava.

When I was almost at the top I saw a man crossing through the small gap of the semi-opened door. But this time I could recognize _him_. It was Fettel.

I jumped the six reminding steps three at a time and slammed open the door as soon as I reached the top. I turned to the left, where I saw Fettel go, and pointed my gun at him… Or at least that's what I would have done if only he had been there to begin with; only problem was that he wasn't. I inspected my surroundings, but noticed he was gone.

I was sure he was close. This was a roof; there was plenty of hiding spots for him to use. I proceeded with caution. I looked behind any place he could have used to hide; I checked behind every door I opened almost twice before crossing it. I couldn't be careful enough; paranoia was my best friend for the moment. I bet any less trained soldier would be a nervous wreck by now.

I went through a door and I didn't give more than three steps when I heard something like a wooden plank hitting a surface. It got me into full alert (if that was at all possible by now). I looked around in search of any sign of Fettel or any other kind of menace. I heard the same noise again, at my right.

I could swear I moved at the speed of the light as I pointed my gun at the source of the noise. And there it was: …it was a cat. A small grey cat standing on a plank at the edge of the roof. I believe I scared it, because when it saw me, it hissed and jumped away.

Now I felt like laughing; and perhaps I did, but didn't notice. A cat had actually managed to scare _me_? No way! But still it did! The thought would have been more than enough to send me to the floor, rolling with laughter, but of course the situation wouldn't allow it.

I turned around, deciding to forget about it, without realizing my fatal mistake: I let my guard drop. It was only slightly and for less than a few seconds, but it was all it took for it to happen. As soon as I turned a brown blur appeared before my eyes, followed by a very strong blow to my head. I had managed to shoot the thing before it stroke me, but I know I failed because I could hear the bullet ricocheting from the floor. My sight blurred as I could hear the person's annoying mockery "Miaw". Then everything went black.

* * *

It didn't take me long to regain a bit of consciousness. When my sight was focused again my blood froze.

Paxton Fettel was crouching before me.

He still had his mouth, his hands, and his clothes covered in the man's blood. He was flanked by two of his replica soldiers. My head was throbbing so much and my thoughts were too scrambled, I couldn't even _think_ about moving. I was getting dizzy and could barely discern Paxton's words "The dead man's name was Charles Habegger. Ah, I remember him. But are the memories mine… or hers? … It makes no difference. He deserved to die. They ALL deserve to die." As soon as he finished I submitted to sweet unconsciousness, for good this time.

* * *

… Thinking back about it, I've come to make a little realization: nothing is _ever_ as we expect. I had expected that, in this kind of situation, Fettel wouldn't even doubt to slice my throat open and probably even "grab a bite", or something (as disgusting as that sounded). And he _had_ the chance, I couldn't even fight back. But yet, for some reason I didn't get, he didn't.

And another example: anyone would have expected me to feel relieved that he didn't. Well I _did_ feel relief, obviously, but it was scary as shit! The way he just crouched besides me and talked to me like if we were just two old pals chatting… If he had just killed me at least that would had been what I had expected. I finally realized what a fake image I had of that man- well, let's not get exaggerated: not fake… but incomplete.

I don't know how long I was out, but surely just a few minutes because no one had taken the trouble to go looking for me just yet when I woke up, for which I was deeply grateful.

I pulled my goggles and my balaclava off and rubbed my forehead where Fettel had hit me. Surely the balaclava took part of the impact, because when I retired my fingers they only had a few tiny drops of blood in them.

"_Come in! Over."_ I suddenly heard Betters' voice through the radio.

I grunted as an answer.

"_What's going on? I've lost Fettel's signal."_ Oh, I really didn't want to answer that question.

"_Tomcat, this is Den Mother. I hope you aren't busy. We've got a situation down here at the harbor."_ I could hear a new voice say.

_'Thanks goodness!'_ I thought, having been spared from a very embarrassing moment.

"_What kind of situation?" _

_"We located those soldiers you were looking for. But we're under orders not to engage until you guys reconnoiter." _

"_Understood"_

I got on my feet, anxious to get back and- _**"Over here"**_ I looked behind me… I could swear I heard something… I looked around, but there was nobody there. Oh, how I hopped Fettel was _really_ far away. I was definitely _not_ in the mood of dealing with him anytime soon.

"_I've got two birds en route to your position. You should have a visual shortly."_ The sound of the choppers got me out of my thoughts. Man that was quick!

"_We'll be ready. Ok, Red, now rendezvous with the others."_

"…Yes sir." I took a last glance around, not knowing what I was expecting to find. Finally I decided to head back. I've lost too much time.

* * *

After I reached the stairs to the "interrogation room" I stopped. I could hear Jin and Jankowski chatting there. "What do you think about the new point man?" Jankowski asked.

"Well… he's pretty cute." Answered Jin… Wait, she thinks what?

"That's not what I meant."

"Just say what's on your mind, Jankowski."

"I don't know; something about him just feels… off."

'_Off?' _I thought. I narrowed my eyes; I shouldn't even be eavesdropping. So why am I eavesdrop- Oh, who cares?

"The day I look to you as a judge of character will be a sad day indeed." Said Jin sounding rather amused by Jankowski's comment.

"I'm serious! It's something about his eyes… Like he's looking right through you." I frowned. Were my eyes really like that? Did they really cause that kind of sensation?

"Maybe it's because you're one-dimensional."

"Ouch!" I almost chuckled at that; almost. Finally I decided it was enough for today. I entered the room and approached them. "Hey! Back already? See anything?" Jankowski asked.

I looked at him for a moment, keeping my poker face, and shrugged: "Nope…"

The confused look on Jankowski's face was priceless! Though this whole situation was rather awkward it was also very comical in a way…

"_You guys about done up there? Our day's just getting started."_ We heard Betters' voice through the commlink.

"You boys run along." Said Jin examining the body. "I'll be busy here for a while."

Jankowski lose no time on leaving the room. I only reached the threshold but stopped. I glanced back and took a look at Habegger's body. Jin was still examining it, probably she thought we had both left the room already. The man was well dressed (even though his clothes were completely stained in blood); he looked like your typical business man. Obviously he didn't live anywhere near here, nor did he seem like he would have any business in this parts of the city. This meant that he was probably dragged here from somewhere against his will. For interrogation, perhaps?

I looked at Jin again. She was still oblivious to my presence. Her words from earlier in the morning came back to mind. Fettel wanted something. Well, it was obvious from the beginning; they _all_ want something. Even just making havoc around counts as something. But this was a different kind of something. He was not just randomly killing (and cannibalizing) people; and he's not just some out of control failed experiment that got loose. He wants something specific. That was the reason he hadn't killed me when he had the chance: I obviously serve no purpose to his cause; killing me would had just been a waste of his time. Probably I just caught him on his way out (ok, so it was the other way around).

But this left me with a single question: what would a man like Fettel want?

I turned around and walked away; tough I was determined to find the answer I knew I wouldn't get it anytime soon, at least not if I didn't get moving. After I arrived at the choppers I hopped in and waited for the Delta team to get ready. The sergeant filled his soldiers in the situation and about our team. Their job was to escort us, or as the sergeant had put it "keep us alive". Once he was finished, we departed.

* * *

_Someone please turn off that damned light! Oh, I believe I'm going blind! "__Breath!__" Aw crap, I believe I'm going deaf as well! _

_A man is standing with his back turned on me. He seems to be convulsing. What's wrong with him? "__Come on__, make her push!" The woman's screams are too loud. If I'm not deaf already, I'll be soon. _

_Someone turned back on the lights at the same time a baby started crying. "I tried to forget…" I could hear that guy say … Habe- …Habeeee- … something. "I tried so hard to forget." _

_Again that man. He's now turning around… there's something wrong with his face. It's almost as if it's been half eat- _

* * *

**AN:** Hmmm, I believe I'm abusing the suspension dots. What do you think?

**I would really appreciate it if you tell me what you think of this new version. When I rewrote this I was just thinking on some minor corrections, but then I was like: "Dude, this chap is totally retarded" and before I could realize it, I was rewriting the whole interval XD**

**Notes: **

[1]Obviously no one knows in which floor of the compound Fettel was (but obviously it was not a basement floor since he had a window that let in the sun's rays). So I just made that up.

[2]As I said before, I gave the PM a nickname because it gives things more sense. In the game it didn't matter if he didn't have a name cuz it was a game. But here it makes things harder, but I can't give him a real name either in order to keep the plot and all that stuff. I also kind of made up a story for the nickname, but right now I'm considering if it would really fit. Once I'm done with this novelization I'll write a fic about his first years in the army… If I have the time, I mean.

[3]Yeah, I believe this kind of needs explaining (at least to ease my ever growing irritation at such ignorance). Despite what most believe, it's Habegger, NOT Fettel, who says this. I mean, just _think_ people! Fettel was PM's _**younger **_brother. How could he be at his birth if Fettel himself wasn't even born then?

**Interesting Facts: **

*Did u notice how that makes him the _exact_ opposite to Jankowski? I didn't notice until I finished writing that part. It came on its own XD

**This actually happens in the game! After u see Charles Habegger crossing through the door, if u go back a few steps to the broken door, u can hear Alma crying. I made it before the part where he sees Habegger cuz it wouldn't have made any sense if he just tracked back to the door for no apparent reason, and also had to change the door; you'll know what I mean if you've seen it.


	3. Interval 02: First Encounter

**AN:** I rewrote this… I'm in a rewriting spree… But don't worry; I still don't think interval 3.1 needs any rewriting, so interval 3.2 _may_ be coming next… I emphasize the _may_…

Oh and another thing. I made a cover for this fic. But for some reason the system won't let me upload it. I made it with Paint; probably it has something to do with it. Yes I saved it as a .jpg doc. And I tried to do it in various sizes. If anyone could help me, I'd be really grateful.

* * *

**Interval 02: First Encounter**

"HEY ARE YOU LISTENI-? (Ooof!)" I punched the Delta operative in the gut, knocking the air out of him. Not to be rude, but I just don't appreciate it when people shout in my ear.

His team mate laughed loudly. "Watch it, Rob! Next he's going to drop you from the chopper, hahaha." I was just half awake, but I could tell they were all having a merry time with this show. When did I fall asleep anyways? I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed, until I decided to not give a damn about this. Besides I could see that we were practically already there.

"That's enough, ladies! This is our stop!" yelled the squad leader (to whom we all referred to as "Little Bird"). Though he also seemed to find this situation amusing, I could notice an edge on his tone. This man takes his job seriously; with good reason. When the point is not getting killed…

The landing was methodical and mechanical: as soon as the chopper stops we drop the ropes; and as soon as the ropes touch the floor we slide down, one by one. And nobody loses a single second to get moving the moment their feet touch solid earth. I was third to reach ground. We kept advancing as Little Bird informed Den Mother we had already reached our stop. He answered by telling him we had to proceed to the first objective.

It was a simple mission, really; all we had to do was to determine if it was necessary to resort to military action against the clones that had invaded the place, a water treatment plant. We were not even to engage in combat unless absolutely necessary. We were dropped in the East side of the harbor while Jankowski and his escort would be dropped in the West. That way we would be able to cover more ground in less time. Jin stayed in Auburn doing her forensic job and that stuff.

Everything was going perfectly smoothly until we reached the closed gate. The controls to open it were nowhere on sight (I supposed they were at the warehouse at our left). And the problem was that we _had_ to get through it. "What do we do now?" A Delta asked.

"Well, someone will have to find the controls and open the gate." answered Little Bird, matter of fact. Everyone then, simultaneously, turned to me; I looked back at each of them. This was one of those hateful awkward silence moments. I merely sighed and got on my way. Must get this over with… "Find that gate control, will ya?" Little Bird said; I could also hear the other two chuckling (until Little Bird told them, or rather yelled at them, to shut up). I sighed. We're just getting started and I already feel like I'm going to get a headache after this.

I climbed up the stairs that led to the door at the side of the warehouse. When I reached the control room, one of the first things I noticed was the dead guy on the floor. I had the feeling this mission wouldn't be as simple as they had said it would be. But these thoughts didn't bother me that much. I hadn't expected it to be that easy in the first place anyways. I pulled the lever to open the gate and watched as my team made their way through it.

* * *

Albert, or Little Bird as most of you know him, looked at his two men laughing and joking. He had to suppress an angry growl; they needed to start getting serious. Oh, how on Earth did he get stuck with these amateurs? On this job where anything could happen, anything could also get you killed when you least expected it. He at least had thought they would know this by now.

Indeed they had said the mission would be simple enough. But he knew by experience that the simplest missions could be even more complicated than the harder ones. And it wasn't because of the mission itself, but because of naïve soldiers who wouldn't take them seriously enough only because someone else said it would be a _simple_ mission… It surely gave him a _serious_ headache though.

But his men's behavior wasn't the only cause for his sour mood. It was just the _only _cause he could place. The other one… not even he knew what was it exactly. He was an extremely perceptive man. He called this his "sixth sense"; he could always tell when something would go wrong even before it did… But _this_ feeling… It was hard and yet simple to describe: It's the feeling that something _very_ unpleasant is about to happen very soon…

It wouldn't let him breathe easily. His thoughts were at more than one place at the same time. But yet his extreme paranoia kept his senses extra sharp; there was nothing he couldn't see, nothing he couldn't hear, and nothing he couldn't feel at that moment. So he knew the gates were opening even before they did, and he was the first one to cross.

He stopped to look at the control room's window. He saw the point man's shape as he too watched them going through the recently opened gate. He looked at his men: finally the way they carried themselves suggested professionalism, which was a big call from the immature behavior they had shown no more than a minute ago; they _did_ know when was time to get serious after all. For once they looked like the readied soldiers they were trained to be.

For that moment he thought that maybe his feelings were not as right as he thought. That his imagination was just exaggerating. That maybe nothing would really go especially wrong on this mission.

… That was before he heard the sudden blast: "What the hell is that?"

* * *

When I was about to reach the stairs I began to hear gunfire; my walking automatically turned into a run before I even knew it_. "What the hell is that?"_ I heard someone yell through the radio. _"OVER THERE!"_

"_Little Bird, what's your situation? Over"_ asked Den Mother. _"Little Bird, come in!"_

"_I'm losing your signal!"_ Now it was Betters through the radio. Everything was going from bad to worse; and all of this in just a minute's span. _"If you can hear me-khfgkhfg-vouz with Jan-khfkhfkfkf-repeat, rendezvous with Janko-hkf-ki!"_ Finally I had reached the spot where my Delta team was supposed to be, but what I found there was something I wouldn't had believed if I hadn't seen it myself…

* * *

_I heard it before I saw it. The fire was everywhere; I had no idea of where did that come from. But I could see something approaching from the flames; I knew then that that thing was what had caused it. My men and I began shooting at it, but it appeared like it was having no effect at all. But it was like the more we shot the bigger the flames grew. And the heat… it was like we had somehow ended up in Hell. _

_We retreated; I could tell my men were panicking. And if by then I wasn't in a panic myself, I sure was after I watched as Jacobs dropped to the floor in agony, his clothes and flesh began dissolving into a bloody poodle, until nothing but his bare skeleton was left. I looked at Summers as the same thing happened to him. _

_I looked again at the thing that was coming from the flames; the thing that was causing all of this, no doubt. The Devil itself!_

_The figure looked human, the only colors I could make from it were red and black (the flames' glow didn't allow me a better look). What really disturbed me though was its size. It was too short: too short to be a man or an adult even. What the fuck is-? _

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" IT HURTS! IT HURTS TOO MUCH! MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE SOMEONE, JUST MAKE IT STOP!_

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

I don't know when the pain had hit in. But it was so strong; it could have been since forever as far as I cared. It was so intense, I wasn't even sure if I was in pain anymore! At some point I forgot how to breathe. I forced myself to remember once I thought I would die of suffocation. But why did I care about that when I was already dying? I lay there for a long time, forcing the air into my lungs. Until I realized something surprising: I wasn't in pain anymore. I wondered how this could be. I could have sworn I was dying just a few seconds ago! It also hit me that I was laying on the floor… in a bloody puddle. I got up slowly to avoid losing balance or getting dizzy. Though I was expecting at least some sort of ache to hit the moment I moved… I surprisingly felt none whatsoever. Well, the only part of my body that hurt right now was my head. And it only got worse and worse by the second. I even began thinking that it would explode.

I stumbled my way to the nearest crate to lean on. The world was spinning around me, I began to feel nauseous; the fact I didn't throw up had to be a miracle. I took off my goggles and my balaclava. The fresh air in my bare face felt like glory.

I waited a long while to let the dizziness and my head ache to die down. Once I felt better enough I kept moving as fast as I could without tripping or slipping on the blood. I didn't bother to put my balaclava or my goggles back on, putting them away in one of my pockets instead.

I didn't know what had happened, nor how it happened, and neither why it happened. But none of that mattered. All the facts were lying (literally) at my feet: that they were _all_ dead, and that if I don't get moving ASAP whatever got them will get _me_ too. My only chance would be to find Jankowski and his team. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew what I had to do. And that was all I needed to keep going. Now, about the how… the plan had already gone to hell. I'd have to play it by ear from now, which was fine by me.

When I approached the warehouse, my radio began to flicker as well as the lights that hung from the walls (which also exploded). I checked the source… "Unknown Origin" it said. I decided not to pay it too much mind. Though it was still strange, after all this shit, it didn't make it to the priorities list. But still, it was a little detail to take note of.

The moment I set a foot in the entrance I could hear the gunfire. They were inside. I opened the door cautiously and peeked inside before entering.

There, on the floor, was a man soaked in blood and barely hanging on. He began crawling towards me when he saw me. I approached him and crouched to his level to save him the trouble. "They started shooting." He said as he gripped my wrist, barely loud enough for me to hear. "H-heeel-p." But I could not do anything for him as he fell limp.

"_Command, all civilians have been neutralized."_ My attention snapped from the worker's corpse to the replica in the next room. I sneaked towards the threshold and peeked inside. There were two replicas on sight, as well as the body of another worker. I crawled into the room and behind the crates, but one of them saw me. They began shooting at me, and it was all I could do to take better cover and shoot back. Then everything turned into slow mo.

I still could not get proper aim but I got the replica in front of me right in the shoulder. That was obviously not fatal but it made him stop shooting long enough for me to leave my cover and put more bullets in his concealed face.

Then, the moment I turn to shoot at the other one, a round object hits the crate besides me and bounces to the floor _"Take that, motherfucker!"_ I immediately knew that the bastard had just thrown a grenade at me. So I did the most sensitive thing I could think of: I ran like hell and jumped besides the nearest cover I could find; which just happened to be behind a window to a small office, besides the writing desk placed right against the wall.

After the boom I heard a noise at the other side of the writing desk. It was the replica that launched the grenade; he was scanning the area behind our side of the window, gun at the ready, searching for me. Considering the relative silence (relative due to the annoying ringing which is a common aftermath of big explosions) he probably thought that I was either dead or behind a crate cowering or something. This meant he didn't notice me get through the window. He _did_ notice me the moment I jumped up and put a couple of bullets in his head; barely, but I'm sure he noticed.

There were only two of them, if the lack of more gunfire the moment I exited the office was any clue to go by.

I walked under a catwalk when a drop of colored liquid fell in my nose. I rubbed it away with one finger and looked at it; it was blood. I looked up just in time to see a body falling from the catwalk. It was about to fall on top of me but I managed to jump out of the way on time. It was the body of another worker. Apparently they were making a point of killing anyone in their way, be it soldier or civilian. And it makes me wonder: what's all of these about? Invade a water treating plant and kill everyone? Of course let's not forget about the guy from before (Habegger).

… Maybe they were looking for something? Or someone; somehow that seemed more probable. I really want to see how this all ends. But as much fun I'm having trying to figure out all of this, for now it's time to keep going.

* * *

I found more replicas inside the next warehouse _"All elements, be advised that Echo Zero isn't responding"_ Looks like my presence wouldn't go unnoticed. This means I will have a limited advantage of the element of surprise from now on. But I planned to get the best of it while I could.

I crawled inside the room and took him by surprise. But, like anyone with common sense would know, where there's one there're more; so I got ready for more fire. The only place from where they could get in was from under the roll-up gate at the other end of the room. I began shooting them as they entered. Most didn't even get the chance to fire, but eventually they had the bright idea of having two shooting at me while another one rolled from under the gate. The one that got in began firing at me. I could eliminate him quickly, but not before the other two made it in as well. I took cover behind the boxes (how convenient this whole place seems to have plenty of these). I downed one and was about to kill the other when 'click' I was out of bullets. I tossed my machine gun aside and drew out my pistol. I shot three times: the first hit him in the Kevlar vest, not doing much harm; the second in the head, and the third in the throat.

They had already stopped coming in. I decided it was a good time to venture outside, but I was sure there was more hiding behind the big crates there. So exiting from under the roll-up gate would be a stupid idea. I grabbed one of the fallen replica's SMG gun as well as all the ammo I could find on them, and entered a small office. There I found a better way outside in the form of a window. I shot at the glass and jumped out. Not even a few seconds later they were on me. I battled my way to the next warehouse.

* * *

I kept battling all my way around. This whole place was swarming with replica, and as I had predicted before the element of surprise was not so much in my favor anymore. They were all in full alert; soon I decided that it was better to just rush in and shoot them all instead of trying to crawl around, except for a couple of times, like when I found myself in higher ground than two unaware replicas. Shooting them from above was a piece of cake.

Only things worth mentioning of my little stroll through the plant are another little incident with "Unknown Origin": the whole room began shacking- it was not like an earthquake, but strong enough to make a couple of objects almost fall on my head (what's it with stuff falling on me lately?). The other thing: I found grenades! My job just got a bit easier.

My current position is in the entrance of another warehouse at the bottom of some stairs. When I entered there I was expecting many things: more replicas attacking; maybe even Jankowski! He and his team should be nearby, they were dropped somewhere on this area after all. Heck, I was even expecting fucking _Fettel_ to jump from behind somewhere and try to attack me with a plank again (sounds crazy but it already happened once). What I was not expecting was to have another random image flashing in my mind, like in the abandoned building back in Auburn before we found Habegger's body. But this time the image was different. It went too fast, but I was able to make out a face. It was as white as a sheet, and its eyes… well, they weren't even there! But the most unsettling of it was that I could swear I _knew_ that face.

When I was aware of my surroundings again… everything was like in a very lucid dream; like it was real and at the same time it was not. I was somehow used to this sensation already. But the most meaningful difference from the previous times was that now I was completely aware of what was going on. Though I still have no idea of _why_ this was happening.

I walked through a door and into a hallway. At the end of it I saw a man. He was walking really slowly. I walked towards him, and even though the hallway seemed long it didn't take me more than a few steps to get to the other end. But before I could reach the man, he disappeared, turning into ashes. I recognized him though: it was Jankowski. **_"Is someone there?"_ **His voice echoed all around me.

Somehow I knew that I should have felt afraid or confused at least, but no. I couldn't feel anything. I didn't feel anything as I kept going, always like I was moving either too fast or too slow; nor the times I saw Jankowski disappearing behind a threshold or at the end of another hallway in a cloud of ash, always repeating the same question. Or anytime I thought I heard a voice whisper something incomprehensible in my ear. Nor when I saw the blood stains in the floor, which made it seem like someone's body had been dragged through it.

I followed those stains to a room where I saw it. Skeletons soaked in a bloody puddle. Like with my Delta escort. Finally I felt something crawling up my spine: dread. It was like finally being able to feel anything pulled me back to reality; and yes, the bloody skeletons were all too real, as much as I hadn't wanted them to be. I stared at them, unable to move, until I could bear the stench of blood and burned flesh no longer. I climbed a set of stairs and went inside another room as fast as I could, slamming the door shut behind me. There was nowhere to go from there, besides through a broken window which would lead me to a floor below.

I didn't know what to do. I knew that I would NOT find Jankowski anytime soon (I had already found his Delta escort). But I couldn't just stand here and wait for something to happen. That wouldn't end well. I had to keep going, even if I didn't know where I was heading, that seemed like the best option.

I looked down; the floor was not too far; I could just jump from the window without trouble…

I jumped boldly, ready for anything that could come. Or that's what I thought. As soon as I touched the floor, everything exploded in front of me. Surprisingly, through the fire and the flying debris, I managed to make out a human figure: … a little girl.

At first I was as confused as ever. She was just walking- no, _skipping_ towards me within the rain of fire like if it was nothing. In fact, the fire followed her like if she was its very source. I thought I even heard her humming a song, and she was _smiling_! That was so fucked, it _couldn't_ be real. Oh, but everything exploding around me was. Time slowed down unnaturally. I could no longer think straight. All I did was the first thing my brain commanded me to do and that was: run for it!

I turned back and saw a door. I thought that I was saved. Perhaps I would be able to escape the explosion that way. But like always, I wasn't that lucky. I was blown away before I could even get close.

I flew through a window and collided with the floor very hard. Everything went black.

* * *

**AN: **I just noticed something very important: I _hate_ writing in first person POV… But it's nice having a new challenge once in a while, cha know?

Sometimes I feel it's not good enough. This is why I post it here, so people can tell me what to do to make it better, but very few people comment and the few who do say it's good enough. Perhaps it _is_ good enough, but some evil goblin in my head won't let me believe it. Perhaps that's a good thing; I mean the real thing bothering me is the feeling that I can do so much better. And then I make things better than before! Or maybe it's a bad thing, and I make them worse? O.o But the point is that the more I re-read this stuff, the more I think I could have done better. But I must admit I somehow feel more satisfied with this. So it's good enough! …For now.

My biggest challenge is my limited knowledge on the English terms. You have no idea of how long I spent looking for words in the dictionary to know how to refer to some things.

And as for what I'll do next. I'm gonna start with 3.2 right away, but before I post it (once I've finished it) I'll see if 3.1 could use any fixing. Once I'm done with it I'll see if the new chapter couldn't use some as well. And I swear I won't be going into any other rewriting spree until I have updated at least five more intervals. I'm noticing that I really should advance this.

And thanks to all the people that took their time to read this so far! And my most sincere apologies to all the fans I've made wait. I can't promise I'll try to do it faster, but I can promise that at least I'll try to make it worth every single day you waited. And thanks again for reading!

And as for reviewing. I know I'm so awesome I leave you all speechless, but my double thanks to anyone who can find the words. Even if I didn't get what you meant, hehe ^-^U


	4. Interval 31: Infiltration

**AN:** Dis is the second time I write dis darn chap. It was cuz mah darn computer started failing and I lose the previous data. Thankfully I could pass the second chap to the USB earlier, dat's the reason I decided to update earlier dat time (dat and I was happy someone had already made their blessed presence known by reviewing). But probably it was for the best; now dat I think bout it, it was not as well done as the previous chaps (and hey, I still feel I could had done better). Perhaps now I can improve it.

Speaking of that, I've been reading mah previous chaps, and dude, am I bad at grammar (but my spelling checker is still worse (fag, it just proved my point, ahaha!))!

Hehe, I also noticed dat in the last chap I used the word "apparently" A LOT, so I decided ta fix it, now if ya wanna read it and tell me if cha like it better now dat it has less darned apparentlies ye're welcome. Not dat I've really changed anything besides dat anyways (this is if you didn't read it after I changed it, if you did, well there's no need).

**Important: **From now on I'll write radio conversations in italics. You can differentiate them from thoughts because I write them in double comas.

**Sigh, okay maybe from now on things are gonna… taste different. Just a bit more than a year since I started this (from Ch. 1) and I've changed a lot. Let's just hope I've changed for good more than for worse.**

**Interval 3.1: Infiltration **

"W…e….. on!" I could hear a voice, but it sounded too distant to recognize; gradually it became clearer. "Red…. Ple…. Wake up!" That voice was so familiar. I tried with all my might to focus only on it, or else I feared I would get lost in the darkness once more. "Come on, Red! You _have _to wake up, NOW!" At last I was back in the world of the living, and I knew it 'cuz I was now able to feel the pain in my whole body, even in parts I didn't even know I had; perhaps the blackness wasn't that bad after all. Slowly, but painfully, I managed to open my eyes. The first thing I saw was Jin's preoccupied face over mine, and then I realized it had been her who had been shouting like desperate for the past minute. "Thanks God you're alive." She sighed in relief when I woke up. "Betters, I found him. He's fine." I took on my surroundings; there was a Delta accompanying Jin and it seemed like we were just in front of the same building I was in when everything went Kaboom… Easy to tell with all the fire and debris scattered around.

"_Should I call a medevac?"_ I could hear Betters asking through _my_ radio. Perfect! That means the connection is working again!

Jin examined me carefully to check for any injury. "Well… He doesn't appear to be injured. Otherwise I don't know how he survived." Indeed I felt fine… well, for someone who has just been blown away through a window, which in normal translation would be in a hellish bit of pain but other than that just fine, it was really nothing I couldn't just ignore. I felt fine!

"_We'll worry about that later. I'm reading Fettel's transmitter near that position. We've gotta take that fucker out, fast! Jin, keep looking for Jankowski. I'm still reading his life signs."_ …On other thoughts, I got quite a good blow from that explosion, didn't I? … Oh, who am I kidding? At least Jin seemed to sympathize with me.

"You can't send him in alone, that is crazy!" she said while she got up.

"_He can take care of himself. Now MOVE!"_ I got up slowly but steadily; my head was still pounding and I was just getting back my balance. Well, what would you expect for someone who just got blown in the face (literally)? I'm not Super Man.

Jin still looked very worried, though; so all I did (and could do) was just to give her a friendly pat on her shoulder as to reassure her that I would be fine. She looked up to me and sighed. "Just be careful in there, ok?" I merely nodded and got on my way.

"You're lucky to be alive." I heard the Delta shout as I walked away, and I couldn't agree more.

I won't lie now, I really didn't want to go; well, not alone at least. With all the shit that's happened… But it's my job to follow orders. That's how my life is. To some it may suck, but that was the only life I had. And if my whole damned life would be following orders, then I sure as fuck would follow orders like a fucking pro, because that's how I do things. That's the great logic I've used from the beginning, and that's what've kept me sane all this years.

…

In the next warehouse I entered were more dead bodies from workers; just a reminder that there were yet more replica ahead.

"_Tomcat, looks like I'm not gonna be able to send you any reinforcements for a while. My helos just got diverted to Armacham headquarters. Something big is going on."_ There was Den Mother in the radio again.

"_No shit! My people are right in the middle of it!"_ I heard Betters say.

"_I hear ya! I wish I was calling the shots!"_

"_Is it the same bad guys?"_

"_Looks that way. I'm a little short on details."_

"_I guess this ain't a cover-up anymore."_

I didn't understand. First they just kidnap some random guy (even though I'm certain he wasn't that random, but until I can figure out how he fits into all of this I'll just call him random guy), take him to an abandoned building and have him for dinner… literally; then they invade a water treating plant for God knows what and start killing everyone; and now they invade a big military company's headquarters for x reason. This puzzle was just missing too many pieces. But I was sure that in the end all would fit.

Going outside and crossing a catwalk above a big tank full of green water (which smelled horrible; by the way); I made it to a big, square-shaped manhole with yellow ladders leading down. I climbed down to a dark tunnel with just a pair of light bulbs hanging on the ceiling to light the path. The lights and my radio began to flicker and I read "Unknown Origin" again; somehow this didn't surprise me anymore. I braced myself for the weird shit that would come next.

I was in a dark tunnel; I had to turn on my flashlight. The only visible lights were ahead, only that they were flickering like crazy; it wouldn't surprise me if they just exploded and left me completely in the dark.

When I got further into the tunnel I could hear a childish chuckle. This made the hairs on my back rise instantly. I saw a few rats running, some of them brushing my feet, in the opposite direction. When I got closer I saw a small figure in a red dress crossing my sight. She disappeared as soon as she came. My heart was beating so fast and loudly I could hear every single beat; for a moment I felt my breath leaving my lungs and as much as I tried I couldn't get it back. When I got into the room with the flickering light I saw two niches in front of me, but the only one that got my attention was the one in the right. It was completely soaked in blood, and in the middle of the puddle was a bare skeleton. I got in the niche to get a better look at it, but then I heard the same chuckle behind me. I turned around fast only to see the same little figure in red disappearing in the niche beside mine. My heart was now beating a mile per hour. I quickly got to the other niche (undeniable proof that I _must_ be crazy) only to find nothing in it. Absolutely nothing: no blood; no skeletons; no little girl.

I couldn't stay in that place any longer. I climbed up the ladder as fast as I could once my breath steadied enough again. While I was climbing up I saw two choppers flying above. If those were replica choppers (which they probably were since Den Mother said he wouldn't be sending any right now) then probably they would not be staying here for long, and neither would Fettel. I took this as an incentive to speed up the search, which in the end was a very good thing because it helped me keep my mind away from what just happened in that tunnel.

…

Curse this job. The replicas got word of my presence; not that it surprises me, of course. I haven't exactly been the most discrete guy since the moment I arrived. The only thing that really annoys me is their persistence. They're more a nuisance than anything, but after I'm done with one squad and keep going there's _another _one waiting for me right in the next room. Right now I'm taking cover behind a turned over desk. I've taken care of six of a squad of eight replicas, only two left, no problem, except for the fact that I'm almost out of ammo. In fact I completely ran out of ammo for my sub-machine gun, all I have left is my pistol. But those bastards wouldn't give me the chance to point properly. Not seeing any other options, I did the first thing that came to mind: I tossed my last grenade at them. As soon as I threw it I could hear a "Fuck" coming from one of them. _'Ha, got that right, asshole!' _I thought, as irritated as I was.

As soon as it blew up I could hear their screams (which were difficult to identify over the loud "Boom"), this really satisfied me. I peeked out of the desk to see if they were dead. I only saw one body. I didn't wonder where the other one was, thinking that maybe it was blown up to bits, or at least somewhere out of my sight; my stupid mistake. Before I realized it the missing replica came out from his cover (behind a window that leads to an office) and started shooting at me. _'Son of a-!' _Before I managed to get back to my cover a bullet almost got my throat, scratching it instead. I can't even curse at that. As soon as he stops shooting (idiot ran out of bullets as well) I take the chance to finally get rid of him. Things go in slow-mo as I run from my cover to take a better position and kill him before he can even point his gun at me again.

I watched him fall slowly to the floor. It completely looked like one of those cheesy action movies. Before he hit the floor time started flowing normally again. I pant, a bit exhausted. Just then I start feeling the pain in my throat. It's easy to forget how sensitive that area is until stuff like this reminds you. Even little scratches can be more annoying than they should be. I put a hand on it; it's bleeding, but slowly. It's more superficial than serious.

Funny: had I been slower to move, I'd probably be in the ground right now, bleeding to death (if not dead already). Guess death only comes whenever it feels like it. And it only would have been for a small stupid mistake. I almost chuckled at the thought. What a comical way to go would that be; comical and in a way sad. Here is the infamous F.E.A.R. Point Man; after taking out… how many replicas? Twenty? Thirty? It could have been a hundred as far as I cared (I have no time to keep count while fighting for my life)… Dead by one lucky shot from _one _replica. Lying on the floor drowning in a puddle of his own blood. Had the scratch not been this annoying, I would have started laughing like a maniac right then and there… Death comes so easily.

Fortunately I find in the office more ammo for my sub-machine gun and even a couple of grenades. I also found a med kit in the wall. I take it and open it; luckily it has all I need. I clean the wound with alcohol (it stings like hell) and press the cotton there, wrapping the adhesive bandage on it to keep it pressed in the spot. Finally it's not as annoying as before.

I kept going and to my surprise there're no more replicas, not that I was complaining. In fact I found something much more interesting: a laptop. Perhaps someone was using it before the replicas came in.

There it was in a table, open and turned on, practically imploring "Come here Red. Look at my wonderful contents!" well I couldn't say no to that. I took a look at the desktop and there was a document titled "Waste Water (confidential)". Nice title. Now if there's something I've learned is that any bit of information can be useful. They always make a point to tell us to seek any bit of it and send it back to HQ.

"Betters sir, I found a laptop containing information. I'm sending it right now." I take my time to send it to HQ (not too long). I wait a while more for it to get there (a bit longer). And finally Betters answers.

"_Ok, it's uploading now… Hmmm, interesting. I found a wastewater analysis summary addressed to an Armacham review committee. According to the abstract, there's some major contamination coming from upstream. I can't imagine why Armacham would be interested unless they're responsible."_ A big scientific company polluting the ecosystem even further than it already is? Why I am not surprised?

I don't linger any longer than I necessarily have to. I keep going as fast as I can. I arrive to a door that leads outside. I peak through the window and see nothing.

… Who knows, perhaps there won't be so many replica ahead. "Squad, stay sharp!" I hear them say from somewhere obviously out of my sight… Well, they say that hope is the last to die… But when it does… Ouch!

…

After countless "booms" and "bangs" and "Aaaagh!'s" (the last ones exclusively coming from the replicas) I finally make my way to another building. This definitely doesn't seem like an office building, there's some heavy machinery inside. I make my way through it until I reach a place full of water. I'm behind a handrail and ahead is a catwalk and a yellow ladder to get to it. I slide from under the rail to the water and swim to the ladder and climb it up to the catwalk.

… Ok, from now on pay attention, the fun's about to start:

The moment I stand in the catwalk there's a window to another room in front of me. The lights start flickering like crazy when the same little red flash I had blissfully forgotten until now dashed through my line of sight behind that window. In a stupid impulse I attempt to see where she had gone. Of course I couldn't see anything.

My cursed curiosity, unfortunately, managed to get the best of me, so I made a point to get into that room as fast as I could. Why was there a little girl here anyways? Or was she just a figment of my imagination? It wouldn't be the first time after all. After a little walk around I finally made it to that room. I kept an eye for the girl (just in case). Of course I didn't see her. I then just kept walking when a flash of white clouded my vision. I blinked a couple of times and saw it: the girl's shadow in the wall, the light making it look bigger. She was skipping and giggling until I lose her from my sight. What the heck?

I rushed there to see where she had gone. And oh surprise: she wasn't there. I looked around, in any place where she could had hided. But I didn't find her. Finally I saw a hole in the floor that led somewhere with more water. Had she gone through there? No way, it was a bit of a fall (for a child anyways), and even if she had done so, I'm sure there would had been a pretty audible splash. I looked down just in case… nope, I didn't see her. I came to the conclusion that it was most probably all in my head. Besides, what would a small child be doing in a place like this? It doesn't make sense, no matter which way you look at it. Still why was I having this visions didn't make any more sense to me.

After thinking about the matter for more than a minute I looked down into the hole again. Now that I think about it, there was nowhere else to go besides down there. It looked promising and it was just a couple meters' fall. Hey, it's not like there's something horrible waiting for me down there.

…

… _I take back my words._

_Where am I? This doesn't look like a water treatment plant at all. In fact it reminds me more of a hospital. And where's the water? I remember landing into water; this is not water. Water is not red, nor does it smell this horrible. This is blood. I'm submerged to the waist in blood. It's like I've fallen into the Devil's pool. _

_I see a light in front of me. It's the only light I can see in this dark place. I look up and notice that it's a door; I can barely see what's behind the tainted window in it. I can hear a baby crying._

_I get closer; I want to get a better look. There's a man holding something. I also see a girl in a surgical bed; she's reaching for the object the man's holding. She screams as he takes it away._

_I want to see what's going on in that room. I want to get closer. I walked towards the door wanting see, but something horrible happened the moment I reached the door: a skeleton rose from the bloody pool. Its stretched arms caught me in a nightmarish hug. I panicked; I tried to get away from it in any way I could, but it just wouldn't let me go. Finally I tripped over something under the blood and fell backwards, the skeleton still keeping its grip on me. _

_I could barely let go a scream before everything turned red. _

**A/N: **Whoooo! Wasn't the wait worth it? I wouldn't have written sumthin like dis two months ago! And the words, they just kept coming! Do you think I already had in mind the whole reflection about how easily death comes the moment I wrote about the bullet scratching PM's neck? I didn't, but before I could realize it there it was! And I laugh at this chap's previous version whenever I compare it to dis one (though I keep feeling that I could do better).

And special thanks to Rocketfist for the tip. I'll try to skip right to the interesting parts (unless I can make the not so interesting more interesting!). And an extra big thanks to everyone who favorite and reviewed. And a thanks just as big to everyone who just took their time to read it. Without any of you there would be no point in doing this.

Oh and by the way, I believe I'll let you know: Point Man's visions will be becoming a bit… confusing... You'll see what I mean. I'm trying to give this story a different style; something like no one's done before. Of course I might screw up, but at least I'm trying.

And… there was something else I wanted to say… Damn I forgot! It's just like with words; I forget how to refer to something and sometime later I remember. Oh well, I'm sure I'll remember later!

Ciao for now!


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